Design no. 948 for the Embroidery of a Man's Waistcoat of the "Fabrique de St. Ruf"
Medium
Drawing
Classification
Drawing
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Eleanor and Sarah Hewitt
Accession Number
1921-22-233
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of 18th-century French fashion with *Design no. 948 for the Embroidery of a Man's Waistcoat* from the Fabrique de Saint Ruf, a renowned silk manufactory in Lyon, France, circa 1785. Lyon was Europe's silk capital, its workshops buzzing with artisans crafting luxurious textiles for the elite. This delicate drawing served as a blueprint for embroidering a gentleman's waistcoat—a key garment in men's formal attire, often adorned with intricate floral motifs or neoclassical patterns to showcase wealth and taste amid the fading Rococo era. As a preparatory drawing, it h...